85% of us question what we should be eating, often!
For some, this can cause anxiety. Trust me I’ve been through it, and still go through it when I’m introducing new foods.
Although I’m still testing things out for myself, I’ve reversed a lot of allergies and healed my skin to a point where I’m confident I can continue to do so. It may not be a linear path, but at least I have control.
Now, when I go to a naturopath or nutritionist they don’t question my eating, because I’m so in-tune, I know exactly where I’m at. Meaning, I’m super clear about what foods I can eat to help me heal, or the ones that make me gradually worse, and the ones I really react to. Though, it wasn’t always that way…
This is why I think we all have the ability to tune in. It’s a process, and one I want to share with you.
But it’s not simply about being more in-tune. Although, if you follow what I’m about to share, you will be — you’ll know exactly where you are at, and what you need to eat to be optimally healthy. But more importantly, it’ll put you on the path to reversing allergies and intolerances.
It’s possible, but it takes time, dedication and effort.
This path looks different for everyone. Hence the importance of getting to know your body, and really tuning in.
For those of you with skin or gut conditions, there are a number of scientific studies and case studies (I’m not the only one) that demonstrate a link between food allergies and intolerances, to skin and gut symptoms.
How to be more in-tune with what you eat:
1. TEST
I hate tests. I rarely take them anymore, but they can be useful when there’s uncertainty and you want to get an idea of where you’re at right now.
Back when I was WAY less in tune with my body, my skin condition was progressing and I was developing intolerances to tomatoes, cashews, and wheat. Three staples in my diet, but there is no way I was aware of it at the time. I needed tests.
Unfortunately, I denied the signs for a long time because I ate so clean. Ignoring the potential link between food and what was going on because I didn’t understand how that could possibly be. “I EAT SO WELL!” I thought, and did, but not for what my body was going through at the time. And that’s the key. What once worked, may not work now.
Then, through medicinal intervention, I got multiple organ damage, and my allergies and intolerances became so widespread I couldn’t eat anything!
Cause and effect became immediate in space and time — I ate, then massive reaction, I drank, then massive reaction — I couldn’t ignore the connection anymore. It was evident. Food was and is a major player in my symptoms, including my skin condition.
If only I had learned to listen to my body earlier rather than opt for the quick fix.
…hindsight.
Which is why testing is a great way to start. Especially if previously you’ve never been intolerant to anything, or you don’t have the lifestyle that enables you to fast for extended periods of time.
You can get tested from your GP but, I recommend a good naturopath because they do way more tests, and are much more thorough in their consults. In my experience, they pick up important things that a doctor may miss. They also look at things from a different perspective, which is great, because it enables you to tackle things from all angles.
To start, test for common allergens, autoimmunity, and deficiencies. Ask your naturopath what they’d recommend.
NOTE: If you’ve already removed certain foods from your diet because of the way they make you feel, intolerances or allergies to those foods will come up as negative because they’re not in your system. These tests only work if you’re currently consuming them.
For instance, I used to a have an intolerance to gluten, but now I have a celiac response to it, so doctors think I’ve developed celiac disease (I didn’t know you could, but apparently you can). So they wanted to test for it, but that would require me to eat it. Which would mean I’d take weeks, if not months to recover. Not worth it!!! I know how I react, and I know how to avoid said reaction.
I mean, why do we take a test? We take a test to uncover what we may not know, which is useful. Not to confirm what we already know and are acting on. Don’t take one for the sake of taking one. Especially if it may harm you! Use your common sense.
That may seem obvious, but I’ve had some practitioners pressure me to take tests, not because they’re mean, but because it’s procedure and they think that’s what I want, but what I want is to feel better and find new solutions…
“We should also test for celiac’s disease.”
“But doesn’t that mean I’ll have to eat gluten?”
“Yeah, but at least you’ll know for sure.”
“And then what? What’s the next step to help me? What will happen if the test comes back positive?”
“We’ll tell you to stop eating it.”
“Right… but I’m already doing that. Taking the test will make me really sick. Then if it comes back positive, nothing changes, and if it comes back negative I still won’t eat it because it makes me sick! Therefore, it makes zero sense to take this test.”
“So, you don’t want the test?”
Bingo.
In the meantime, removal of triggers feels great and allows the body to heal. Reversal of allergies is a process too, that we’ll get into.
2. AN ELIMINATION DIET
You may have heard of this before, with many of you who’ve asked me if it’s something I recommend. I think it’s a great short-term strategy because it’s systematic, and scientific in its approach, and it allows you to tune in.
For those of you who are wondering, an elimination diet is exactly as it sounds. You eliminate foods that could be triggering symptoms in your body. Anything from rashes, fatigue, IBS symptoms, and more.
Some people require more extreme elimination diets than others, but typically it takes 3-6 weeks to remove suspecting food groups. This is because it takes at least 3 weeks to remove all the antibodies — the protein released when our immune system is reacting. Which is why three weeks is usually the minimum amount of time it takes to feel or see a positive result from these changes.
Also, make sure you’re checking labels, or better yet, buying everything fresh so there are no trace amounts of these foods.
The most common elimination diet excludes:
Common allergens, such as…
- Dairy — Milk
- Legumes — peanuts
- Soy — tofu, soy sauce, tempeh, soy milk etc.
- Gluten — wheat, barley, rye, oats
- Tree-nuts — almonds, cashews, brazil nuts etc.
- Grains — corn
- Refined foods — sugar etc.
- Shellfish
- Fish
- Alcohol and caffeine
Other elimination diets exclude:
All legumes
If you have high histamine levels, or rashes, acne, trouble sleeping, changes in mood eliminate:
- Peanuts
- Peas
- Lentils
- Beans
- Chickpeas
Nightshade vegetables
For people experiencing IBS, heartburn, joint, and or nerve pain eliminate:
- Capsicums
- Tomatoes
- Eggplant
- Potatoes
High histamine foods
For “hot bodies” or people with rosacea. OR if you’re someone who reacts to probiotics, or fermented vegetables — it might be the histamines!
Try removing:
- Alcohol
- Fermented and pickled foods
- Smoked meat
- Beans and pulses — chickpeas, soybeans, and peanuts
- Walnuts and cashew nuts
- Chocolates and cacao-based products
- Canned foods
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Yeast
- Papayas
- Pineapple
- Avocados
- Eggplant
- Spinach
- Cinnamon
- Paprika
PLUS MANY MORE ELIMINATION DIETS!
This is why it’s great to start with a range of tests, it’ll give you a more targeted approach. If you test high for histamines, you know a great place to start is removing high histamine foods, for instance.
Then after the elimination period (3-6 weeks), begin to introduce one food, and or food group at a time to see how your body reacts. Do this for a minimum of one week at a time, see how it affects you. If you’re affected negatively, remove again for three weeks and then introduce the next group, and so on.
This is so important, and can be life changing!
To remove inflammation, pain, suffering, and insecurity is huge. That’s what taking control of your body, and your health looks like. Commit to yourself. You’re worth it!
3. FAST
For me, fasting has been a more extreme type of elimination and healing strategy. Where I remove everything, allow my body a complete state of rest and healing, and then very slowly reintroducing foods.
This isn’t for everyone, always. There are times to fast, and times to feast. For more on this see:
Fasting can remove the only issue experienced with elimination diets, where in some cases, people don’t see results quickly enough so quit they too soon. Simply because they haven’t pinpointed their trigger yet. I understand it’s hard, sometimes it can be something as obscure as one food, like broccoli, mango, or celery!
With fasting, we remove everything and introduce really slowly (like I’ve had to do), so the trigger becomes apparent more quickly.
4. INTERMITTENT FAST
I’ve spoken about this a bit before, but to reiterate in this context, intermittent fasting is great for reducing inflammation (removing antibodies), speeding up detoxification and many healing mechanisms in the body. The great thing about intermittent fasting is it can be done alongside your elimination diet protocol.
This will enhance and speed up the reversal of allergies, as well as the benefits/results of your elimination diet.
This can take many forms. Intermittent fasting is all about your eating window. Restricting eating from 6-12 hours is considered intermittent fasting. Find what works for you.
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Of course, there is so much more you can do, but this is foundational, and therefore an important place to start.
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Now I’m curious, have you tried an elimination diet? In what ways have you become more in tune with your body, and how?
Let us know in the comments below!
xx Jess